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U9

Russell Foster Youth League Premier Division – 7th February 2010

Riverside FC 2 Swalwell Juniors 1
Riverside FC 0 Durham Boys 5

A bit of a mixed bag this morning at Durham City FC!

After starting strongly against Swalwell Juniors and creating 2 or 3 good chances, we went behind following a good counter attack. Despite the goal, the boys stuck to their task and a good finish from Jack Pugh was followed up just before half time with a good headed goal from Luke Allen. The second half saw us weather some consistent pressure, with Dylan Smith looking very assured in goal. We forced some good saves from their goalkeeper in the closing stages and eventually the final whistle went to confirm a hard fought 3 points against one of the stronger teams in the league.

We were slow out of the blocks against Durham Boys and they played very well from the outset, but none of us expected to be 4-0 down at half time. We did manage a few attempts on their goal, most notably a strong long range effort from Craig Turnbull, but our passing wasn’t as positive as it is usually and we squandered possession too easily deep in our own half. Liam Lowes made some excellent saves through a second half in which we were more competitive. Right on full time, Jordan Rochfort was unlucky not to score when he hit the base of the post after a positive run.

See you all on Tuesday night.

Russell Foster Youth League Premier Division – 24th January 2010

Riverside FC 2 Swalwell Swifts 0
Riverside FC 4 SAFC Foundation Whites 1

For the second time this season we picked up maximum points with two wins from our two games at Gateshead Stadium.

The first game was very tight, against a strong and skilful Swalwell Swifts side. On a fairly small pitch, the game was quite scrappy. A good finish from Jack Pugh put us into the lead and some outstanding goalkeeping from Dylan, coupled with some determined defending from Will and Liam, made sure that we got to half time with our lead intact. The same pattern continued through the second half until Luke hit a powerful shot which clipped a defender on its way into the top corner. This was a great win, and Will picked up the Man of the Match trophy for his strong defending.

We picked up where we had left off in the second game against SAFC Whites. Dylan anticipated a loose crossfield pass to hit a powerful low shot into the bottom corner for our first. Alec finished off a fantastic move involving Jack and Jonny to get our second, and Dylan hit a powerful third to take us to 3-0 at the break. Our opponents got a goal back early in the second half, but recent signing Jordan was able to restore our 3 goal cushion from close range later in the half.

Well done to everyone!

Soccarena Tournament - 29th December 2009

We had a good run out at the Soccarena venue on Tuesday 29th December, playing 5 short games. The format was 6 a side, with each game lasting 8 minutes. Results were as follows:

Riverside 1 East Durham 1 (Jonny)
Riverside 1 Consett Raiders 2 (Alec)
Riverside 1 Waldridge Park Blues 3 (Alec)
Riverside 2 Soccarena Boca 0 (Dylan 2)
Riverside 4 Hetton Juniors 0 (Dylan, Jordan 3)

The games were all well contested and with more composure in front of goal on one or two occasions we might have got through to the quarter finals. We just missed out on the last 8 due to our inferior goal difference (+3 compared to Roma's +5!).

Well done to everybody who played. v

Russell Foster Youth League Premier Division – 12th December 2009

Riverside FC 2 SAFC Foundation 4
Riverside FC 0 Waldridge Park Blues 3

If you take out some basic errors, there wasn’t too much wrong with both of our performances today. The boys showed lots of determination and character, creating plenty of chances. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to keep it tight enough defensively.

We went one down against SAFC after some slack marking and that soon became 2 after what looked to be a generous penalty. At 3-0, it looked all over but the boys rallied well with Alec and Craig bringing us back to 3-2. Having thrown Dylan up front to try and get something we were caught at the back after a strong run and finish by SAFC’s outstanding player.

We played strongly against Waldridge and went in 0-0 at half time after some outstanding goalkeeping from Dylan and some great defending throughout the team. A couple of excellent through balls from Alec and a series of corners reminded our opponents that we were also keen to threaten their goal. Unfortunately, we conceded a scrappy goal fairly early in the second half and despite continuing to battle hard we let in a further two before the final whistle. The boys couldn’t be faulted for effort and we can look forward to next week’s games in a positive frame of mind.

See you on Tuesday.

Russell Foster Youth League Premier Division – 28th November 2009

Riverside FC 2 Roker Boys 3

Just the one game this morning, so we all had the chance of a rare lie-in! We put in a very encouraging performance against one of the consistently stronger teams in the age group, and probably deserved something from the game.

We started strongly and good work by Luke Allen following a corner led to Alec Horsfield finishing crisply at the back post. We continued to press, and went 2-0 up through Jack Pugh with another sharp, close range finish.

We were pegged back to 2-1 at half time with our opponents scoring a very good long range goal. We battled well throughout the second half but luck seemed to be against us with 2 unfortunate own goals (the last one with only 2 or 3 minutes to go) meaning that the game finished 3-2 to Roker.

Most encouraging was the positive way that we played when in possession. If we continue to play like this we’ll win more than we lose.

See you next week.

Russell Foster Youth League Premier Division – 21st November 2009

Riverside FC 1 Hetton Inters 3
Riverside FC 1 Redby CA Reds 1

We lost 3-1 against Hetton, which was quite disappointing, particularly after taking the lead in the first half through Luke Allen. The game was well contested throughout and had we taken any of a number of chances, the result might have been different. Their goals were well taken and there wasn’t much that Will could do about any of them.

We also took the lead early in the second game through Alec Horsfield from a well taken corner. We went on to create some good chances, but weren’t able to get the second goal. The second half saw our opposition come more into the game and they created a number of chances which were well saved by Will Dixon. Eventually, the pressure told and they got an equaliser after a partial clearance from a corner. This was a good point, which keeps us ticking along in the league.

See you next week.

Russell Foster Youth League Premier Division – 14th November 2009

Riverside FC 1 Durham County 0
Riverside FC 1 Houghton Albion Tigers 0

We were double winners in the league for the first time in well over a year.

We dominated the game against Durham County, playing some fairly tidy football in quite difficult conditions. We didn’t get the breakthrough until midway through the second half, when Luke Allen hit a powerful shot following a good pass from Jack Pugh. After this we continued to play well in possession, seeing the game out fairly comfortably.

The second game was a much closer affair. We took the lead early in the game through Alec Horsfield and dominated through the remainder of the half with the wind behind us. The second half was competitive, and we found it difficult to make much progress into the strong wind. The midfield and defence played really well, restricting our opponents to one or two half chances and we were very happy to see the game out for 3 more valuable points.

Training is as normal on Tuesday night, 6-7pm at Roseberry Sports College.

Russell Foster Youth League Premier Division – 7th November 2009

Riverside FC 3 Durham Boys 2
Riverside FC 1 Durham Soccarena Roma 3

We got back on the winning trail with a hard fought victory over Durham Boys, showing real character to come from behind on two occasions. Dylan Smith got us back into the game just after half time with a powerful long range shot, but we were soon behind after our opponents scored with a good header from a corner. Jack Pugh dribbled skilfully into the penalty box and shot low to get us back to 2-2, and Liam Lowes smashed a free kick from just outside the penalty box for the clinching goal.

We were a bit sloppy in the second game, allowing their 2 outstanding players too much time and space on the ball. From 2-0 down we battled back well, with Liam Lowes curling a fantastic free kick in to get us back to 2-1. We threw Dylan up front for the last 5 minutes and went close to getting the equaliser. Unfortunately, we conceded a contentious third at the death, with a number of the players and spectators not convinced that the ball actually crossed the line having bounced down from the crossbar. Anyway, they all count, never mind what we think!!

Russell Foster Youth League Premier Division – 31st October 2009

Riverside FC 0 Plains Farm Blues 4
Riverside FC 0 Byers Green 1

Despite playing fairly well in both games this morning we failed to pick up any points and it was a bit of a Halloween horror show!

After going behind to a well struck shot against Plains Farm, we battled back well after going into a more attacking formation. Luke and Dylan both went very close to getting us an equaliser, but it wasn’t to be. Three goals in the last 5 minutes made the final score look a bit harsh.

Without ever being at our best we dominated most of the game against Byers Green only to be hit on the break for the decisive goal, late in the second half. To be fair, we probably only deserved a point from this game, as many of our passes weren’t strong or accurate enough and we seemed to make hard work of the slightly heavier pitches, particularly once we got into their penalty area.

Training is back at the usual venue and time on Tuesday night. See you there.

Russell Foster Youth League Premier Division – 24th October 2009

Riverside FC 1 Washington United Tigons 2
Riverside FC 3 Willington 1

Despite taking the lead against Washington with a powerful long range shot by Dylan Smith, we lost this game through two late goals. Washington played very well, creating a number of chances (and missing a penalty) and it was only a combination of excellent goalkeeping by Will and good luck that kept the score down to two.

The second game was much better. We controlled possession more carefully and scored three good goals through Luke, Jonny and Jack. We had a bit of a scare when we were pegged back to 2-1 by a well struck free kick, but managed to keep our composure and score at the end to guarantee the 3 points.

Well done to everyone! Training is at the Riverside astro (next to the running track and County Cricket ground) on Tuesday night, 5-6pm.

Russell Foster Youth League Premier Division - 17th October 2009

Riverside FC 0 Swalwell Juniors 3
Riverside FC 0 Waldridge Park Blues 0

This was a tough weekend, with us paired against the top two sides. We were without the services of Will, who has a badly sprained ankle, and Liam Miller – in Florida on holiday!

Against Swalwell, both teams were slow to get going. We conceded from a corner after failing to get out and block a shot. After an inspirational team talk from the manager, we immediately went two down from the kick off!! After this, we created two or three very good chances, which might have given us a glimmer, but a long range free kick through a mass of players put the game beyond us at 3-0. Perhaps we already had one eye on the local derby to come later in the morning?

We then took on the current league leaders, Chester-le-Street based Waldridge Park Blues. Despite some cracking games in the past, we’ve never managed to get a result against them, so we knew this would be tough. We weathered some early pressure, and were pleased to see a couple of headers from one of our former players drift wide. Our opponents dominated in terms of possession and territory, but every one of our players was showing a genuine determination to stop them from scoring. In all fairness, Dylan and Luke had very little to do in goal. The final whistle was greeted with an almighty roar from our supporters, and the boys deserved every bit of the applause they received as they left the pitch. That’s the attitude we need to show for every game!

Well done to everyone! See you on Tuesday at training.

Russell Foster Youth League Premier Division - 10th October 2009

Riverside FC 0 SAFC Foundation 1
Riverside FC 2 SAFC Foundation Whites 0

Thankfully the weather was not a factor today. We played two very competitive games without the services of Craig and Alec, who are both suffering with swine flu.

We were fast asleep at the kick off against SAFC Foundation, allowing them an easy goal within a minute of the game starting. Despite some excellent football and a really determined approach, we couldn’t manage to get the all important goal we needed. With the exception of the first couple of minutes, the performance was very good. Jordan Lazenby came on in the second half for his Riverside FC debut and played very well.

We started much quicker against SAFC Foundation Whites, creating some good chances and forcing their keeper to save well on a number of occasions. Our first goal came from a well worked move, with Jack and Jonny working the ball down he left to Luke, who crossed accurately for Dylan to score. A well struck free kick got our opponents level, and at that stage the game was wide open. We were very fortunate not to go behind after their striker got into a one on one situation with Will and slid his shot just wide of the post. After a partial clearance by our opponents, Jonny got the winning goal, crashing a shot (or was it a cross?) into the top corner from outside the box. We hung on doggedly to see out the result for a valuable 3 points.

Well done to everyone! See you on Tuesday at training.

Russell Foster Youth League U9 Premier League, Downhill Sports Complex
Saturday October 3rd 2009
Riverside FC 1 Swalwell Swifts 0
Riverside FC 0 Roker Boys 2

The great weather of the previous weeks was nowhere to be seen this morning. The winds were gale force and we had a massive hail/rain shower to deal with in the middle of our second game. Nevertheless, we got through both games and gave a decent account of ourselves picking up another 3 points.
The first game was against Swalwell Swifts. They seemed to be a much improved team from last year, and we needed to concentrate throughout the game to get a 1-0 win. Will Dixon was outstanding throughout, having his best ever game for Riverside. Liam and Dylan were solid in defence, playing intelligently in the difficult conditions. Jack Pugh finished an excellent passing move with a well placed shot into the corner after being nicely played in. Swalwell pushed very hard for an equaliser but we managed to hold out for an excellent three points.
In deteriorating conditions we played a strong Roker team. We pushed them all the way, creating some good chances, but fell behind to a long range strike that caught on the wind and flew into the roof of the net. We conceded a second goal fairly early in the second half (after a lengthy stoppage for a hail storm!) which probably put the game beyond us, but the boys deserve credit for playing hard all the way to the final whistle.
Great effort! See you all at training on Tuesday.

Russell Foster Youth League U9 Premier League, Downhill Sports Complex
Saturday September 26th 2009
Riverside FC 0 Plains farm Blues 1
Riverside FC 0 Redby Reds 2

On another beautiful morning we put in two very brave performances, from which we can take a lot of positives. We started slowly against a Plains Farm team that finished strongly in the league last year and that has recruited well over the summer. As the game wore on, we created some good chances. Craig Turnbull played some dangerous crosses from the right and also delivered some excellent corners. Liam Lowes was steady at the back with Jack Pugh, and Will didn’t ever look troubled in goal (until he was bundled into the net by their striker!). Jonny and Alec battled hard in midfield and managed to get a few early passes up to Luke. Unfortunately, just when it looked like we would get at least a draw, a shot flew off somebody’s heel and ended up in the back of our goal! Funny old game! Liam Miller made his RFYL debut in defence and did very well – well done Liam!

We had similar luck in the second game, against Redby. I think we could have played for a week and we still wouldn’t have scored – it just wouldn’t go in! Sloppy defending from a short corner cost us the first goal, and the second was a scrappy affair after we’d failed to get the ball away well enough. Even so, we still created enough clear chances to have won the game. The boys battled right up to the final whistle – if they maintain that level of determination they’ll not do too badly over the full season.

Training Tuesday 6pm. See you all there

Russell Foster Youth League U9 Premier League, Downhill Sports Complex
Saturday September 12th 2009
Riverside FC 3 Durham County 0
Riverside FC 0 Durham Soccarena Roma 2
We made a very good start to our Premier League campaign with a win against Durham County in very pleasant conditions. The boys passed the ball very well and defended strongly against an athletic team. Goals were scored by Jack Pugh, Dylan Smith and Luke Allen.
Against Roma, we fell behind to a good individual goal and then got a bit sloppy with our marking to concede a second just before half time. We dominated the game throughout the second half, missing a number of good chances to get us back into the game. Overall, I was very pleased with the attitude of the boys and their determination to keep trying right until the final whistle.

Russell Foster Youth League U9 Premier League, Downhill Sports Complex
Saturday September 19th 2009
Riverside FC 1 Hetton Juniors Inter 2
Riverside FC 3 Houghton Albion Tigers 1
We took the lead following an excellent passing move between Jonny, Alec and Jack which was finished very well by Luke. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get any further goals, despite some good build up play and Hetton managed to equalise. They got a winner about 5 minutes from time and hung on for the win. I thought we did enough to merit a draw, but that’s football! Liam Lowes played very well throughout the game and received the Man of the Match trophy.

The boys played with real determination to record their first win against Houghton. An excellent corner from Craig Turnbull flew straight in to give us the lead, and shortly afterwards Luke Allen finished very well to double our lead. Luke got his second and our third to seal the win. Houghton pulled one back, but we finished well to record a good win. For his two goals and good all round contribution, Luke Allen received the Man of the Match award.

A MASSIVE THANK YOU TO ALL PLAYERS, PARENTS AND SUPPORTERS. YOU HAVE MADE THIS SEASON A REAL SUCCESS. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL AT THE PRESENTATION PARTY ON SUNDAY 7TH JUNE, 1.30-3.30PM AT EASY STREET, CHESTER LE STREET.

Russell Foster Youth League C&C Trophy
Saturday May 30th 2009
Riverside FC 0 Soccarena Roma 3
This was a disappointing result with which to finish the season. We applied quite a lot of pressure in the first half and just failed to get the crucial first goal. Roma then scored from long range right on the stroke of half time with their first effort of the game and this seemed to really lift their confidence! They scored another from long range at the start of the second half and finished us off with a tidy third in the closing stages. In between times, we gave a really determined performance, never giving up, but things didn’t quite go for us. We’ll be back!
We gained a very creditable 10th place in our division of 15 teams, which should ensure that we stay in the top division next season.
Craig

Russell Foster Youth League C&C Trophy
Saturday May 23rd 2009
Riverside FC 2 Swalwell Juniors 1
Riverside FC 0 Easington 2
Riverside FC 0 Willington Youth 2

We played well against Swalwell Juniors, with Jonny Langley opening the scoring and Sam Rowell putting us 2-0 up. Swalwell got a late consolation goal that had our nerves on edge, but we managed to see the job through to secure 3 valuable points that ensure a mid table finish in what has been a very competitive league.

We were disappointed with the results of our games against Easington and Willington, feeling we probably did enough Easington to deserve at least a point. We struggled to create many clear chances against Willington, although we did think Dylan had scored from a corner only to realise that it had hit the outside of the post!
One more game to go, against Soccarena Roma. Let’s see if we can finish on a high note!!!

Russell Foster Youth League C&C Trophy
Saturday May 16th 2009
Riverside FC 0 Soccarena Roma 0
Riverside FC 0 Waldridge Park Blues 2

As a result of holidays and other unforeseen circumstances, we only had 7 boys for today’s matches. At least team selection was straightforward!
Against Roma, we put in a really encouraging performance, going close on 2 or 3 occasions without ever getting the goal we were after. Dylan made some good saves in the first half, and after the break Luke played really well in goal, making 3 excellent saves including a block on a shot that turned out to be the last kick of the game. Overall, a draw was just about the right result.
Against Waldridge we put in a determined performance. Dylan played the whole game in goal and was in outstanding form. However, with no substitutes to bring on, the team tired and we just couldn’t hold out for the last 5 minutes. Overall, we couldn’t really have any complaints about the result, but we did see a lot of character from the boys.
Next week we have 7 boys and 3 matches!!!!!

Russell Foster Youth League C&C Trophy
Saturday May 9th 2009
Riverside FC 2 Swalwell Swifts 1
Riverside FC 0 SAFC Foundation 3

Our first game of the day was a real thriller. Swalwell Swifts started very well, and deserved to take the lead after a well worked goal. Riverside gradually got to the pace of the game and began to create some chances, but were still 1-0 down at half-time. Dylan Smith came out of goal for the second half, to play as a striker and his presence seemed to unsettle the Swalwell defenders. Sonny Best went very close, and it looked like it wasn’t going to be our day. With the clock ticking down, Craig Turnbull played an excellent ball out of defence and Dylan latched onto it for a well taken equaliser. Two minutes later, good work from Sonny got Dylan in for his second, to guarantee us the three points. This was a performance of real character, and it was great to see us come back from behind to take the win.

We were sloppy in defence against SAFC Foundation, who are pushing for the title. They scored three in next to no time to seal the result before half-time. We showed more resilience and determination in the second half, creating good chances for Luke and Alec which they couldn’t quite finish.

Riverside FC U8 Blackpool Tour 1st – 4th May 2009

Riverside FC U8’s undertook their first ever tour last weekend. We arrived at Pontins, Blackpool on Friday 1st May and party members were quick to familiarise themselves with their new surroundings.

We played 4 matches on Saturday morning. The pitches, on the outskirts of Lytham St Anne’s, were of a high standard and the surroundings were generally very pleasant.

West Lancashire Colts (Liverpool) won 4-0 (Alec, Sonny, Dylan, Jonny)
Lytham St Anne’s B (Lancashire) won 9-0 (Alec 3, Dylan 3, Sonny 2, Jack)
Lytham St Anne’s A (Lancashire) lost 1-2 (Dylan)
Dean’s Youth (Manchester) won 3-0 (Alec, Luke, Sam)

Performances across the whole team were excellent, and even in the game we lost, we created a number of good chances.

On Sunday afternoon, we returned to the same venue to play 3 more games. We knew nothing about our remaining opposition, as no results from Saturday’s games were published (in line with FA guidelines). These 3 games turned out to be our most challenging.

Walker Central (Northumberland) won 1-0 (Jonny)
Frodsham JFC (Cheshire) lost 4-0
Crossfields (Cheshire) lost 1-0

Despite losing 2 of the 3 games on Sunday, the boys played very well. I was able to experiment with players in a number of positions, which was very helpful.

The presentation ceremony was a spectacular affair. The boys looked really smart in their new tracksuits and they were delighted to be presented their participation trophies by Jason McAteer (Bolton Wanderers, Liverpool, Blackburn, Sunderland and Republic of Ireland).

This was a great weekend, which lived up to all expectations. Thanks to everybody for your continued support.

Craig

Riverside FC U8
The C & C Trophy 26th April 2009

Riverside FC 2 Plains Farm Yellows 1
Riverside FC 0 Roker Boys 2

A slightly more attack minded formation paid dividends against Plains Farm Yellows, with Dylan Smith finishing of a great move after a pass from Luke Allen. Dylan got his second shortly afterwards and we went in at half-time 2-0 up. Plains Farm gave it a real go in the second half, but an OUTSTANDING close range double save (Jimmy Montgomery? Gordon Banks?) from Liam Lowes and some great defending from the team saw us through with a 2-1 win.

Roker are clear at the top of the table and have been destroying teams, but we gave them a really good game. Everybody gave an outstanding effort and we had a couple of chances that we couldn’t quite capitalise on. A very encouraging performance.

Riverside FC U8
The C & C Trophy 25th April 2009

Riverside FC 0 Houghton Boys 0
Riverside FC 0 Redby CA 2

I wasn’t present at the games on Saturday, due to work commitments, but I have been reliably informed that the boys gave a great performance against Houghton without managing to get the crucial breakthrough we were after. Still, 0-0 against one of the stronger teams in the division is very respectable.

Despite battling hard, we were caught out by the long, direct ball on a number of occasions against a physical Redby side, who took their chances well to beat us 2-0.

Off to Blackpool for our long awaited tour next week – see you there on Friday night!!

Riverside FC U8
The C & C Trophy 19th April 2009

Riverside FC 0 Washington United 0
Riverside FC 2 Sacriston Community FC 1

Another couple of excellent results. It’s been a while since we’ve managed a result against Washington, but we were worth a point today as a result of a very solid performance. Dylan and Liam played very well in goal, and Jack Pugh had an excellent game in midfield.

Luke Allen got both goals in our win against Sacriston, but an unfortunate own goal early in the second half meant that we needed to battle hard to hang on for the win against big, strong opposition. Liam was excellent in goal, but the whole team put in a determined performance to see the game through.

Riverside FC U8
The C & C Trophy 18th April 2009

Riverside FC 3 Easington 0
Riverside FC 0 Plains Farm Blues 0

This was our first game ever against Easington, and we played really well. A well taken early goal from Luke Allen settled the nerves, and this was quickly followed up by a free kick by Jonny Langley which went in off a defender, but which is being claimed by Jonny! The final goal was scored by Dylan Smith from a second half corner – this one also hit a defender on its way in, but as you’d expect, Dylan is also claiming it. The dubious goals panel might want to see video evidence of this game! Overall, this was a very good performance.

Plains Farm are a good side, and we battled very hard for a point in this closely contested game. Everybody in the team played their part, chasing down every ball in defence and passing nicely when in possession. Well done.

Riverside FC U8
The C & C Trophy 4th April 2009

Riverside FC 0 Washington United 2
Riverside FC 0 WillingtonYouth 1

We were a bit disappointed with our results this weekend. Even so, there were plenty of positives to take from the games. We were missing Liam and Will due to illness, but Jack, Dylan and Craig did well to step in and fill their places in defence.

Washington have made a good start to the new season, and despite us creating some decent chances they probably deserved their win as they were slightly sharper into the tackle and more precise in front of goal.

We started very slowly against Willington and made life tough for ourselves by trying to play too much football in and around our own penalty area. After going a goal down we picked up the pace and dominated the rest of the game. Only a series of last gasp blocks, saves and tackles kept us out, but we know this is a game in which we should have done better.

We’ll try again next week!

Riverside FC U8s
Russell Foster Youth League C&C Trophy
28th March 2009

Riverside FC 2 Swalwell Juniors 2
Riverside FC 0 Waldridge Park Blues 2

Today’s games were ruined by the weather conditions, and we were just pleased to get the games over with.

Our game against Swalwell was close in every respect. Sonny Best finished off a fantastic passing move to put us one up, and Craig Turnbull finished comfortably to take us two clear after 5 minutes. Swalwell came back strongly and pegged us back to 2-2 by half time. After the break, both teams defended well and a draw was probably the right result.

The Waldridge game was ruined by the wind, sleet and rain. Even so, we tried to keep passing and moving – but the ball kept blowing back from where we had just kicked it to!

See you next Saturday.

Riverside FC U8s
Russell Foster Youth League C&C Trophy
21st March 2009

Riverside FC 1 Sacriston Community FC 0
Riverside FC 0 SAFC Foundation 2

During the Sacriston game, both teams played very well, creating some good chances. The match was very evenly contested throughout, and it took an excellent goal from Sonny Best to win us all of the points.

We also played well against SAFC Foundation, only to be undone by two late goals following injuries to Liam and Sonny.

Well done to everyone! See you next Saturday.

Riverside FC U8s
Russell Foster Youth League C&C Trophy
14th March 2009

Riverside FC 3 Swalwell Swifts 0
Riverside FC 0 Roker Boys 0

We performed very well in both games today. In the opener against Swalwell Swifts we moved the ball around the pitch very well and scored 3 very good goals following patient build up work. Sonny Best kept a clean sheet on his debut in goal, and Dylan Smith also looked solid after taking over in goal for the second half. Craig Turnbull opened the scoring for us, quickly followed by Alec Horsfield and Luke Allen. Considering that Swifts finished some way clear of us in the last league competition, this was a very good result.

The game against Roker was spoilt by the increasing wind, but we certainly did enough to show that we are able to compete with the best teams in the league. Alec Horsfield went very close with a header and we created a number of other chances without ever being too seriously troubled ourselves.

Well done to everyone! See you next Saturday.

Riverside FC U8
The C & C Trophy 7th March 2009

Riverside FC 0 Plains Farm Yellows 1
Riverside FC 0 Redby C.A. 1

More tough games against good sides this week – just how we like it!

Against Plains Farm Yellows we played very well, passing the ball quickly and with confidence. We got into some good positions, getting a number of shots on target but unfortunately for us, the Plains Farm keeper had a really good game, stopping everything we could throw at him. At the end of the game we were at bit disappointed not to have taken all 3 points, but the way we played was very encouraging.

Against Redby we continued to play extremely well. We created some excellent chances as a result of clever link up play by the midfielders, and only some excellent defending by Redby kept us out. Dylan made some very good saves and gathered a number of well struck crosses to keep the score 0-0 at half time. The second half was equally well contested and it was a real shame that we conceded in the dying minutes to lose the game 1-0. On the balance of play, I thought we had at least deserved a point.

Well done to everyone. We are looking forward to meeting two familiar teams next week - Swalwell Swifts and Roker Boys. See you there!

Riverside FC U8
The C & C Trophy 28th February 2009

Riverside FC 0 Houghton Boys Tigers 1
Riverside FC 1 Plains Farm Blues 1

New competition, same old Riverside! We put in two great performances today against a couple of very useful teams. Some of the football we played was really exciting and if we stick with it, I am sure the results will keep coming. Let’s not kid ourselves, this will be the toughest league we’ve played in so far. The top nine from the first half of the year have been joined by six other teams whose losing record since September could be almost counted on one hand! We’re ready to give it a good go though.

Against Houghton Boys Tigers, we had some excellent chances and couldn’t quite make the breakthrough. They caught us a bit cold at the start of the second half, and despite our best efforts we couldn’t quite get a goal back. We delayed our final pass just a fraction too long on four or five occasions, meaning we never quite got the shots on target that might have got us back in the game.

Against Plains Farm Blues we started extremely well, playing some of the best football I have seen from us. Slack marking from a corner, however, meant that we went in 1-0 down at half time. At the start of the second half, Dylan made 2 or 3 great saves which lifted everyone. After a great through ball from Sonny, Jonny calmly beat the ‘keeper in the dying minutes to get us a fully deserved point.

Well done to everyone. I’m looking forward to next weekend already!

Russell Foster Blue Division 21st February 2009

Riverside FC 0 SAFC Foundation 4
Riverside FC 2 Swalwell Juniors 0

We finally completed our league programme today, having started out in September. We played pretty well against the league winners, SAFC Foundation, conceding 3 goals very late in the game to give a scoreline that didn’t accurately reflect the way the game had gone.

The game against Swalwell Juniors was the big game of the day for us, with us sitting 2 points clear of them at kick off. We started very confidently and carved out a number of clear chances. Following an excellent passing move, Jonny Langley played in Alec Horsfield, who calmly placed the crucial opener past their goalkeper. We continued to dominate through the second half, but Swalwell did have some excellent chances and we were very grateful to Liam Lowes, who made 2 or 3 outstanding saves to keep us ahead. As the game drew to a close, Jonny played in Luke Allen for the goal that clinched the 2-0 win. The boys ran off to watch the end of the Roma versus Swalwell Swifts game on an adjacent pitch – they were delighted when the final whistle went, as the 0-0 draw meant that we also climbed above Roma to finish in a very respectable 7th place (in a competitive league of 13 teams).

Well done to everyone for their hard work this season. Don’t relax too much though – the new league starts next Saturday!!

Russell Foster Blue Division 14th February 2009

Riverside FC 0 Durham County 0
Riverside FC 6 Soccarena Milan 1

We were back at Gateshead Stadium again this week, which at least guaranteed us two more matches. We played Durham County first, dominating all aspects of the game, but without getting the crucial goal that would have given us all 3 points. There was plenty to admire in the way we played, and it was only down to some determined defending by our opponents that we didn’t get a goal.

We picked up exactly where we left off in the second game, against Soccarena Milan. In this game, however, we got the scoring underway nice and early through an excellent strike by Alec Horsfield (his first of 2). The confidence of the boys seemed to increase once we had the lead, and further goals from Luke Allen, Sonny Best (2) and Sam Rowell (his first league goal) took us out of sight for one of our best wins of the season.

We have two games remaining, against SAFC Foundation and Swalwell Juniors. If we can beat Swalwell, we’ll be guaranteed 8th place (in a league of 13) and there is also the possibility of us finishing 7th if other results go our way. Let’s give it a go!!!

Riverside FC U8
Russell Foster Blue Division 7th February 2009

Riverside FC 1 Byers Green 0

This was our first game at Gateshead Stadium. The boys played really well against a determined Byers Green team, and finished with a well earned 1-0 win. Dylan Smith got the goal following an excellent forward pass from Alec Horsfield. Luke Allen also went close as we pushed for a second. Liam Lowes made two excellent reflex saves in the final seconds of the game to ensure we picked up the three points. Well done to everyone!

Riverside FC U8
Russell Foster Blue Division 31st January 2009

Riverside FC 0 Waldridge Park Blues 1
Riverside FC 0 Washington United Tigons 2

Our game against Waldridge was extremely close. Everybody played really well. Only a very good goal from a corner separated the two teams. As the game progressed we seemed to grow in confidence and we were disappointed not to get at least a draw.

The second game was a bit disjointed, with too many positional changes and substitutions. This meant that we never really got into our stride against a well organised team. We’ll see if we can put things right next week!

Riverside FC U8
Russell Foster Blue Division 7th February 2009

Riverside FC 1 Byers Green 0

Riverside FC U8
Russell Foster Blue Division 31st January 2009

Riverside FC 0 Waldridge Park Blues 1
Riverside FC 0 Washington United Tigons 2

Russell Foster Youth League – Blue Division – 24th January

Riverside FC 3 Byers Green 1

This was a bit more like it! After a slow start, we got some control over the game. A fine long range goal by Craig Turnbull set us on our way, and this was quickly followed up by a composed goal from Luke Allen. After quite a few changes at half time, Byers Green pulled one back following a goalmouth scramble, but there was still time for Dylan Smith to crash home a direct free kick to seal a very good win. Well done to all of the players!

Russell Foster Youth League – Blue Division – 17th January

Riverside FC 0 Waldridge Park Blues 2
Riverside FC 1 Washington United Tigons 2

We returned to Durham City for our games this week. As we all know, this venue is fantastic for football development. Unfortunately, we lost both games, although we did battle very hard against two teams that are up near the top of the table. We didn’t really get into our stride against Waldridge, and can have no complaints with the result. We very nearly managed a point against Washington, having got back to 1-1, but they got a late winner to finish us off. We’ll try again next week!

Riverside FC Under 8s

Russell Foster Youth League – Blue Division – 4th January

Riverside FC 1 Soccarena Roma 0

Another really impressive performance by everyone in the team, which gave us our first ever win against Roma, who’ve always seemed to get the better of us in the past. As ever, this was a closely contested and frantic game. Excellent goalkeeping by Dylan Smith and Alec Horsfield, along with some really determined defending through the whole team laid the platform for the win, with Jonny Langley driving home a loose ball from a corner midway through the second half. Great stuff!!

Russell Foster Youth League – Blue Division – 3rd January

Riverside FC 2 Swalwell Swifts 0
Riverside FC 0 Roker Boys 1

Against Swalwell Swifts we played very well from start to finish, with Dylan Smith coming out from goal in the second half to get our two goals. The whole team played with confidence and skill, and the win was well deserved. Well done!

The boys also played extremely well against Roker Boys, losing out by the only goal of the game. I was very proud of the way the team played today and am really looking forward to our matches in the coming weeks.

Riverside FC Under 8s

Russell Foster Youth League – Blue Division – 20th December 2008

Riverside FC 4 Nissan Sunderland Real 0
Riverside FC 0 Roker Boys 2

In our second game against Nissan Sunderland Real in consecutive weeks, we played some excellent attacking football. Dylan Smith got the scoring underway, and was quickly followed by Jonny Langley, Sonny Best and Alec Horsfield. Most encouraging was the way in which all of the players got their heads up and passed the ball. A very pleasing performance!

Our second game, against Roker Boys, was a real ding dong affair! We conceded a sloppy early goal, after which we really pushed hard for an equaliser. As the game progressed, we came close on a number of occasions. An unfortunate own goal took the game away from us, but we still pushed for a goal and were very determined right to the end. I couldn’t fault anybody for effort and determination in this game, and am confident that the results will come if we keep playing at this level.

Enjoy the Christmas break!!!!!!

Riverside FC Under 8s

Russell Foster Youth League – Blue Division – 13th December 2008

Riverside FC 1 Nissan Sunderland Real 0
Riverside FC 0 Plains Farm Blues 0

Today’s conditions were absolutely shocking for football, and I was really surprised that the games went ahead. Having said that, the boys performed really well to achieve two excellent results, particularly when you consider that we were missing two strong players due to illness.

Against Nissan Sunderland Real we played some fluent football, passing with confidence and accuracy on a really muddy pitch and it was no surprise when Jonny Langley scored midway through the first half, following up a good shot by Sonny Best. We created a number of further chances as the game progressed, but were unable to get a second goal. There were one or two scares in defence, but we finished as deserved 1-0 winners.

Against Plains Farm we produced another determined display. Will Dixon made some brave saves in the first half as the game flowed from end to end. Sonny Best came very close to scoring on a number of occasions and Dylan Smith looked very safe in goal throughout the second half – all things considered, a draw was probably the right result.

See you all next Saturday for games against Nissan Sunderland Real (again!) and Roker Boys. Don’t forget, we also have our Xmas party, 3-5pm on Saturday!!!!!!

Riverside FC Under 8s

Russell Foster Youth League – Blue Division – 15th November 2008

Riverside FC 0 SAFC Foundation 1
Riverside FC 0 Soccarena Roma 2

We gave a really good account of ourselves in the first game, only losing by a single goal to the strongest team in our league. We went a goal behind early in the second half, after switching off and allowing a shot after a quick corner kick by the opposition. Apart from the goal, the game was fairly evenly matched. Dylan Smith almost got a goal as the game was finishing, but his shot went just past the post. This was a good, committed performance from the boys, with lots of good play.

The second game of the day was a bit disappointing. We were very sloppy in the first couple of minutes, conceding a poor goal. After this, the boys picked up considerably and created a number of good chances, but were unable to get the breakthrough. Roma caught us on the break near the end to leave us a bit deflated with a 2-0 defeat.

We’re still looking forward to next week’s games against Washington United and Waldridge though!!

Craig

Riverside FC Under 8s

Russell Foster Youth League – Blue Division – 8th November 2008

Riverside FC 0 Swalwell Swifts 1
Riverside FC 0 Swalwell Juniors 2

Unfortunately, I was not able to be at today’s games due to a friend’s wedding in Gibraltar, so the match report is shorter than usual. I understand that the boys tried really hard in both games, but didn’t quite manage to get a goal or any points. Dylan played really well in goal during both games. Sometimes you have days like this in football! It won’t stop us from looking forward to next week.

Craig

Riverside FC Under 8s

Russell Foster Youth League – Blue Division – 25th October 2008

Riverside FC 4 Durham County 0
Riverside FC 2 Plains Farm Blues 2

We started very well against Durham County, with Dylan Smith getting an early goal to settle everyone down. We had a lot of possession and created a number of chances. We had even missed a penalty before Jonny Langley’s cross from the left somehow found its way in at the near post to make it 2-0. Dylan got his second just before half time to effectively finish the game off. After half time, we maintained good pressure on the Durham goal and it was Dylan who got our fourth (and his hat-trick!) to round off a very good display.

Our second match was against Plains Farm, who had beaten us 2-0 the previous week. By the time we kicked off it had turned really cold and the wind was approaching gale force. Plains Farm took the lead from long range, with a shot that looped high over our ‘keeper’s head. Our response to going behind was really positive though. Within a matter of minutes Dylan had equalised and then he gave us the lead at 2-1 after pouncing on a loose ball from a corner. Through the second half we defended very strongly, and it was a real disappointment when Plains Farm got a scrappy equaliser with only two minutes to go. On reflection, however, a draw was probably a fair result and we’ll look forward to next week’s games very positively after today’s performances.

As ever, thanks for coming along. Don’t forget we are moving to 9am kick offs from 1st November.

Craig

Riverside FC Under 8s

Russell Foster Youth League – Blue Division – 18th October 2008

Riverside FC 0 Soccarena Roma 0
Riverside FC 0 Soccarena Milan 0

The boys put in 2 excellent performances this morning against the Soccarena teams, but were unable to get the crucial goals that would have won us the games. A referee’s full time whistle just as we put the ball into the net against Roma didn’t help, but overall these were 2 very good performances. Many thanks to Keith Horsfield for selecting and managing the team in my absence.

Russell Foster Youth League – Blue Division – 19th October 2008

Riverside FC 3 Nissan Sunderland Real 0
Riverside FC 0 Plains Farm Blues 2

We played extremely well in the first game of the day, passing the ball quickly and decisively, and creating some good chances. Alec Horsfield opened the scoring after excellent work by Sonny Best on the left side, and Sonny followed up with 2 more goals for himself either side of half time to seal a good win.

The second game was very well contested. An unfortunate deflection gave Plains Farm the lead just before half time, and this seemed to lift them. We did create a number of good chances as the game progressed, but we weren’t able to get past their impressive goalkeeper. The final score was a slightly disappointing 2-0. This is a game that we’ll be keen to win when we next meet!

A win and two draws this weekend should mean that we continue our progress up the league. Saturday only next week – back to a lie-in on Sunday!
Craig

Riverside FC Under 8s

Russell Foster Youth League – Blue Division – 12th October 2008

Riverside FC 0 Durham County 1
Riverside FC 3 Soccarena Milan 0

We opened against Durham County, and eventually had to settle for a 1-0 defeat, which was very frustrating. After starting the game as if we were still having a Sunday morning lie-in, we fell behind to a scrappy goal, failing to clear the ball from the penalty area. From this point on we dominated possession, creating